Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-30
LADIES COLUMN.

| The preparation for Christmas festivi-
ties during the past week has given little
I time for questions OF attire. For q time
| Queen Fashion retires and the queen OF
generous hospitality holds undivided
sway. II is true, but week intervenes
until New Year demands are upon those
| in society, for although year by year we
are told that New Years calls ore num-
| bered With obsolete social customs, many
families continue 20 keep open house, and
| the darkened parlors form an added op-
| portunity for display Of tasteful toilets, a
privilege pretty girls are sure to appreci-
ate. This, too, is the time of weddings,
aud notwithstanding fashion for time
may be retired, brides are assertive as
well as important, and details of their
costumes can never be unseasonab E..
| That which renders bridal dress most
charming is its simplicity, and while
there are elegant fabrics, rich and heavy,
| there are also materials pretty and soft,
| well adapted to girlish beauty. Stepping
outside the domain of all gossamer-woven
| robes, nothing is prettier than
the soft India, Chinese and
Japanese silk Their cost is very little,
for to put much garniture upon them
mars their chasteness and, despite style,
severity and simplicity in bridal robe
bear of the palm. A pretty dress of
China crepe recently came TO the writer's
knowledge, on which silver lace was
sparsely used, the straight apron trent
being edged with it as was side drapery
drawn to the left, with scarf end; the
train was OF five and half breadths,
moderate length, and perfectly plsin.
The proper veil is OF tulle and complete
ly envelopes the person, for this bride, as
silver pins OF f1lagree held it in place and
the flowers were white violets, tiny
lunches catching the tulle, also pinioned
at the V of the corssge end st the left
side Of the throat, the neck being filed in
with tulle and finished with collar Of
delicate lace.
The bride Of course is the central fg-
ure, although bridesmaids play no insig-
ficant part. A pretty conceit for their cos
tunes is the rainbow fancy, when each is
dressed in a pretty tiDt of color that
gives effect to the pure simplicity of the
bridal robe. Where, however, white is
preferred, there is no prettier material
for the attendant maidens than white
wool; this can be trimmed with gold
braid or striped with ribbon and lace.
Where this style is adopted the bodice
may be Of white MORE or brocade silks
and g delicate color is often used. The
dress is frequently cut in princesse forms
at the side with narrow backs, full and
straight in the skirt.
While some may laugh others must
weep and mourning toilets have their
place in fashions record. Nothing is so
desirable as the Henrietta cloth of modern
weave for dresses. The best taste IS
manifested In simple make up with as
little friil and furbelow as possible The
bonnet usually is of the same material as
the dress. Some widows still prefer those
of Grape. they are then of English Grape
doubled and plain on the frame, with only
some simple folds on the edge for their
trimming, IS they are covered by the |
veil. A tiny puff of crimped white Grape |
forming the Widows cap is now worn in |
side the bonnet. The strings Of mourn. |
ing bonnets are of black grosgrain |
ribbon.
Ladies who have laid deep mourning
aside and yet are not willing to wear
colors, adopt the French mourning styles.
little bonnet made for q lady attending
an afternoon tea WAS in shape between
, bonnet and toque. The brim was
formed of full plestirgs of ribbon; the
sides were covered with fat pieces of
dull jet studded at intervals with bright
Jet. A standing frill Of Grape, which was
embroidered on the edge. and high
cluster OF ribbon and black Parma violets,
aid flatly on the bonnet. completed the I
there were no ties. A soft